A Pondicherry weekend: the French Quarter and the sea
- Pondicherry, India
- 2 days
- Couple
Written by the Seenary team from what we know of this place, to get Stories started. Travellers' own stories appear beside it.
Pondicherry's old French Quarter is a grid of ochre and white villas, bougainvillea and quiet streets that end at a long seafront promenade. It is a place to walk, sit and eat rather than tick off sights. Two days is the right length: one for the quarter and the promenade, one for Auroville and the beaches north of town.
Day by day
Day 1 · The French Quarter
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Promenade Beach · Nature
The seafront walk, with the Gandhi statue and the old lighthouse. Early morning and evening are its hours.
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French Quarter streets · Culture
Rue Romain Rolland, Rue Dumas and the lanes around them. Villas, churches and cafes behind yellow walls.
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Sri Aurobindo Ashram · Culture
A quiet courtyard around the samadhi. Visitors are welcome to sit in silence.
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Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus · Culture
A Gothic church near the railway station, worth a short detour.
Day 2 · Auroville and the beaches
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Auroville Visitor Centre · Culture
The exhibition and the walk to the Matrimandir viewing point. A morning.
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Serenity Beach · Nature
A fishing-village beach north of town, popular with surfers.
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Botanical Garden · Nature
An old garden in town with big trees and shade for the last hour of the day.